In the southeastern part of the Galapagos Archipelago there is a small island which, it’s been slowly moving from the west of the archipelago to the southeast throughout the years, about three to five inches per year—that is how quickly our finger nails grow every year. The time, the movement, and the external factors, such as erosion, have transformed the island into something completely different from its original shape, and its attractions are incredible. In the morning, we anchored along the northeast coast of the island, in a small bay with amazingly clear shallow water, called Gardner Bay. We offered several options her, including deep water snorkeling along the coast of the islet, where a high number of attractions can be found in the relatively shallow water, including tropical fish, reef fish, Galapagos sea lions, urchins, and sea stars, among others. We also offered some beach options, including a short hike, swimming, and snorkeling from the shore. The Galapagos sea lions kept us company during our excursions, and our guests greatly enjoyed the opportunity to observe and interact with them. After this excellent morning, we returned to the ship to reposition to our next destination.
Punta Suarez, where we held our afternoon excursions, is located at the westernmost point of the Island of Espanola. Our group split up into long hikers and short walkers for our trek up the boulder ridden trail. This is one of those locations where beauty surrounds us, and there is something to be seen in every direction. First, we stopped by sea lions sleeping on the beach; shortly after, we were in the territory of the blue-footed bobby, and not too far from there was the Nazca booby zone. It was fascinating to be able to watch their behaviors up close, and they were very active today. Finally, we made it to the albatross area, where we were once again captivated by their activity—we watched them dance and engage in courting rituals, flying, landing, and even just walking, it was mesmerizing to watch these large birds.
It was a fantastic day, and we are already looking forward to more discoveries tomorrow.
